Candidates call for action on disaster prevention

Stand Up Christchurch candidates Sharon Torstonson and Grant Mangin say lessons from the earthquake need to be learnt, and pledge if elected to ensure future development helps prepare the community for the next disaster.

They say the scenes of devastation in Bexley and Halswell raise significant issues about the location of housing, and water and power cuts demonstrate our over-reliance on infrastructure that may simply not survive the next earthquake.

“Residents must have confidence that when the council approves subdivisions they are going to be safe to live in,” says Torstonson. “Parts of Halswell suffered great damage, yet the Halswell area has been identified for 12,000 new homes over the next 35 years in the Southwest Area Plan. Surely the council should reconsider this decision based upon what’s happened?”

The Stand Up team want subdivision and building approvals in areas badly affected by the earthquake to be reviewed before rebuilding takes place, and areas designated for new development, such as Halswell reconsidered.

“We’re proposing a Safe Development task force be set up, to review and recommend changes to zoning and development plans”, says Mangin. “The task force should consist of council staff, independent geologists, engineers and other specialists, one councillor and other interested parties to ensure people can have confidence in the task force.”

The Task Force will make recommendations to restore people’s confidence in council’s zoning and development plans. While the Safe Development task force can prevent building occurring in unsuitable locations, that won’t prevent a disaster nor prepare people for it. The Stand Up team say loss of water and power were key issues for many houses, and more needs to be done to prepare households for the next disaster.

“We’re proposing to set up a Natural Disaster Readiness working party to investigate and recommend a series of schemes to better equip households and communities to survive the next disaster”, says Torstonson.

The working party would include Civil Defense Emergency Management staff, engineers, builders and developers, renewable energy specialists, one councillor, council staff as required and other interested parties.

Mangin says there are many ways the city and its communities can be better prepared for the next disaster. In addition to removing the remaining chimneys that didn’t fall over, retail buildings with unsupported solid verandas could also be made safer with lightweight, clear verandas that let more light in and improve pedestrian security.

“Despite the advice from the Earthquake Commission, many houses didn’t have emergency kits”, says Mangin. “For little cost the council and central government could jointly fund and provide a basic kit (for example including torches, bottled water, matches and camping stove) to every household. New houses could be required to have emergency kits provided before final compliance certificates are issued.”

The Stand Up team says the working party would research the cost of practicality of these and other ideas. They say a top priority must be identifying and recommending community facilities (e.g. schools and churches) across the city able to act as community emergency centres in disasters.

“In the next disaster all residents should be able to walk to their closest emergency centre in the event that roads are closed to vehicles”, says Mangin. “These community emergency centres will need toilets, showers, kitchens and heating, along with their own water supply and power supplies to provide short-term shelter for residents.”

The working party would report on costs and funding options to develop a citywide network of well-equipped emergency centres based at existing community facilities.

ENDS

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